Outrageous: Our response to a call for no new charters

A Philadelphia advocacy group just released a report calling on the SRC to deny all 40 charter applications currently being considered – an outrageous recommendation given how many of the applicants are running great schools for families and have long waitlists. Here are the key points every Philadelphian needs to know about these 40 charter applications:

13 applications come from operators running undeniably strong schools. Four applicants – applying to open seven new schools – already operate high-quality schools serving as many or more low-income students as the District. Five more applicants – who are applying to open six new schools – currently serve low-income students who are performing at least 50 percent better than the District in reading and math.

If the SRC rejects these 13 applications, they will deny 13,000 students the opportunity to attend a better school. That’s 13,000 students less likely to read, less likely to graduate high school, less likely to make it to and through college.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. We will continue our efforts to make sure this debate centers on one thing – access to quality schools for more families. Simply put, how can we afford not to give Philadelphia’s families the best schools our city has to offer?To get involved, please contact us. You can see a full statement from PSAP, our partner organization,here, and read about this in today’s Inquirer.